The Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by Tera Brown.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown’s forthcoming Dog Tag Bakery gets a nice shout-out.
• Gut renovations can be done without angering your neighbors, apparently.

3200 block of N St.

The Georgetown ANC has never taken a particularly strong stand for measures meant to calm traffic through Georgetown. In fact, most of its efforts on that front are more about speeding cars through Georgetown with as little traffic as possible. And when another neighborhood like Glover Park decided that it wanted to actually do something to slow cars down, the Georgetown ANC took the unprecedented step of sticking its nose in another neighborhood’s business to interfere with and ultimately undo the project.

But this week’s Current reports on how the ANC has finally found a traffic calming measure it can support. It just happens to be bike traffic that the ANC is concerned about. As the Current reports:

The Georgetown neighborhood commission is urging the city to examine and improve the area’s [below the Whitehurst Freeway] safety. In a June 5 letter to transportation director Matthew Brown, the commission specifically asks the agency to determine ways to calm bike traffic, including possibly raised crosswalks.

The article then goes on to quote Commissioner Bill Starrells and Jack Evans who are convinced that bikers present a clear and present danger whose lawlessness must be stopped. Of course the irony of Jack Evans complaining about bicyclist scofflaws is awfully rich, seeing as he is notorious for driving while talking on his cell phone (a scene GM has seen at least a dozen times). Continue reading →

Photo by bclinesmith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Cafe La Ruche is closing but will reopen as Chez Billy Sud, a second location of the popular Petworth bistro.
• Moving goodbye letter from Georgetown resident and friend of GM Ken Archer.

2900 block of K St.

Yet another M St. address formerly occupied by a restaurant will be taken over by retail. In this case it’s the former Fino Italiano space at 3009 M St. which will soon be occupied by a store called “Free People”.

Free People appears to be a store that if it didn’t exist, Portlandia would have to invent it. It’s a self-described “Bohemian lifestyle” purveyor, and specializes it clothes designed for the manic pixie dream girl in your life. Despite projecting the insouciant vibe of a latter day hippy, it’s quite the corporate chain with almost 100 outposts. Actually what it really is is a spin off of Urban Outfitters, its parent company.

Continue reading →

Photo by Ehpien.

Good morning Geogetown, here’s the latest:

• Woman who washed up along the waterfront has died.
• If you’re an artist, contribute to this mural!

Potomac River

Yesterday, GM linked to the report that Eastbanc had a contract to buy the property under the gas station at M and Pennsylvania Ave. The report was short on details of what exactly the developer planned for the site. However it mentioned that

“I can’t tell you much more because I don’t know much more at this point,” said Lanier, who estimates the property could accommodate between 15,000 and 18,000 square feet of new development. He said a likely use would be residential.

So GM will have to do the speculating instead.

It’s an oddly shaped and placed property. In some ways the absence of direct neighbors increases the likelihood that they could build up high. But due to the gateway nature of the property, GM could envision the Old Georgetown Board insisting on a more restrained and less vista-denying property.

GM tried to mock up above how a medium sized building would impact the view as you come across the bridge into Georgetown. It would limit your view coming into the neighborhood, no doubt, but if done well it could create a more of a formal threshold.

Continue reading →

Photo by Michael Cisneros.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The incomparable Sharon Lockwood, a Georgetown treasure.
• Return a fountain to M and Pennsylvania?